EARLIEST BENGALI JOURNALISM — 229 literary, scientific, or historical essays of general interest. Each article was written both in Bengali and English, put opposite to each other, the English version on one page on the left and the Bengali on the next page on the right.!. The Digdargan or Magazine for Indian Youth, as its title-page says in (00০ 416০10861৮০ ( দিগ্দর্শন অর্থাৎ যুৰ- লোকের কারণ সংগৃহীত নানা উপদেশ ) was published in April 1818? and was thus the first paper of its kind in Bengali. An enumeration of the contents of the first number would indicate the nature as well as the variety of the topics dealt with. It was essentially meant for the diffusion of useful knowledge on various subjects and none of the articles had any great pretensions for original writing, artistic presentation or literary finish. The first number contained the following articles :_-আমেরিকার দশন বিষয়ে (01 1000 1)15০০৮০7৮ 01 :706108), হিন্দুস্থানের সীমার বিবরণ purpose of exciting a spirit of enquiry among them, it was resolved that there was no objection to the publication of snch a journal, pro vided all political intelligence, more especially regarding the East, be excluded from it and it do rot appear in a form likely to alarm government. It must therefore be confined to articles of general infor- mation and notice of new discoveries, but a small place may be ailotted to local events, with the view of rendering it attractive.” (History of Serampore Mission, vol. ii, p. 162.) ' From the Tenth Memoir relative to Serampore Translations (July, 1832: Appendix) it appears that two editions were issued, viz., (1) bilingual, English and Bengali; (2) in Bengali only. In the volumes we have been able to trace, Nos. i-xvi (from April 1818 to March 1819 and from January to April 1820) are bilingual; while Nos. xv to xxvi (from March 1820 to February 1821), itis published only in Bengali. We have another edition Nos. i-xii (April 1818 to March 1819) published only in Bengali. So it seems that the two editions were issued simultaneously from the very beginning of its publication.
- The date given by Dinesh Chandra Sen (History, p. 877) as
February 1818 is incorrect. See quotation from Marshman’s letter at p. 233 poste (footnote). The first number with the date April 1818, may be seen in the Sahitya Parisat Library.
